GB2291109A

GB2291109A - A vehicle locking system

Info

Publication number: GB2291109A
Application number: GB9512501A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Edward De Ferry Foster
Original assignee: MG Rover Group Ltd
Current assignee: MG Rover Group Ltd
Priority date: 1994-07-02
Filing date: 1995-06-20
Publication date: 1996-01-17
Anticipated expiration: 2015-06-20
Also published as: GB2291109B; GB9512501D0

Abstract

A key operated vehicle door lock includes a pinion 42 rotatable with a key, and a rack 46 engaged with the pinion and connected to a Bowden cable inner 35 such that rotation of the pinion 42 causes longitudinal movement of the cable inner 35 thereby operating a locking function of a door latch mechanism 12. The lock, rack 46 and pinion 42, and the end of the Bowden cable 28 are enclosed in a casing such that the locking function of the latch cannot be operated without the key to the lock, even if the lock is prised out of the vehicle door 10. In an alternative embodiment (figs 4 and 5) not shown, toothed gearing provides for the key operation to rotate the inner cable. <IMAGE>

Description

A Vehicle Locking System The present invention relates to locking systems for vehicles, and in particular to improved mechanical drive mechanisms for vehicle locks.

With ever increasing car crime it is becoming more important to provide locking systems for vehicles which prevent unauthorized access to the vehicle. Currently the link between the door lock into which the key is inserted and the latch which is to be secured is generally made up of link rods. It is a problem with such systems that once a thief has forced the lock out of the door it is easy to operate the latch manually by direct access to the link rods. Also the link rods can be operated by inserting an implement down the side of the window glass.

It is also known from GB 2 271 374 to provide a vehicle locking system in which a door latch is operated by a Bowden cable the inner of which is pulled by turning a cam. The cam can be locked by a barrel lock in the door.

However this system suffers from the drawback that, if the lock is prised out of the door, the inner of the Bowden cable can be reached and the door unlatched.

The present invention aims to overcome this problem.

Accordingly the present invention provides a vehicle locking system comprising a lock mechanism having locking means, cable means comprising a cable outer and a cable inner movable within the outer to operate the locking means, the cable inner having a first end connected to the lock mechanism, a rotatable member adapted to be rotated by a key, means for translating rotational movement of the rotatable member into movement of the cable, and casing means enclosing the rotatable member, the movement translating means and a second end of the cable inner.

This arrangement ensures that, even if the lock is forced out of the vehicle bodywork, the locking function cannot be operated without the correct key because all of the move able components of the lock are enclosed in the casing means and the cable outer.

Preferably the lock mechanism also has latching means which can be locked by the locking means. For the best security, the latch means is also operated by cable means having a cable inner and a cable outer. However, in view of the secure nature of the locking components, the latch mechanism can be securely locked even if it is operated by, for example, link rods.

The cable inner may be adapted to move along the cable inner to operate the locking means. In this case the rotatable member may comprise a pinion and the movement translating means may comprise a rack which can be attached directly to the end of the cable inner.

AlternatIvely the cable may be adapted to rotate within the cable outer to operate the locking means. In this case the rotatable member may comprise a first geared wheel and the movement translatIng means may comprise a second geared wheel connected to the cable inner.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a locking system according to a first embodiment of the invention, Figure 2 is a view on arrow A of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a section through part of the vehicle locking system of Figure 1, Figure 4 shows a locking system according to a second embodiment of the invention, and Figure 5 is a section through part of the locking system of figure 4.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 a vehicle door 10 has a latch mechanism 12 mounted on its rear edge. The latch mechanism includes a latch lever 14 which is used to unlatch the door 10 and is connected to inside and outside door handles 16, 18 by respective linking means in the form of link rods 20, 22. The latch mechanism further includes a locking lever 24 which operates a locking function within the latch mechanism 12 to prevent use of the latch lever to unlatch the door. The locking lever 24 can be operated by link means in the form of a link rod 26 connected to a sill button (not shown) on the vehicle door 10, by a Bowden cable 28 connected to a key operated external door lock 30, and by a central locking motor 32 located on the vehicle door adjacent the latch mechanism 12.The Bowden cable 28 has its inner 34 connected to one end of a link 33 via a cable-link converter 37, the link 33 having its other end connected to the locking lever 24.

The Bowden cable outer 36 is supported by a cable abutment 38.

Referring to Figure 3, the key operated door lock 30 is housed in a casing 40 mounted in the vehicle door 10 at a position spaced from the latch mechanism 12 and adjacent the outer door handle 18, and includes a pinion 42 which rotates with the key. The casing 40 also defines a track 44. A rack 46 is housed in the track such that it can slide along it, and has teeth 48 which engage with teeth 50 on the pinion such that rotation of the pinion 42 causes movement of the rack 46 along the track 44. At one end 52 of the track 44 is a cable abutment 54 which supports the end of the Bowden cable outer 36. The Bowden cable inner 34 extends into the casing 40 and is connected to the rack 46, so that movement of the rack 46 along the track 44 causes longitudinal movement of the Bowden cable inner 34 in the outer 36.

The casing 40 completely encloses the door lock and all the components which translate rotation of the key in the lock to movement of the Bowden cable inner. Also the casing and the Bowden cable outer 36 prevent access to the Bowden cable inner 34 by any route other than via the door lock 30. This means that even If a potential thief manages to prise the lock 30 out of the vehicle door 10 he will still not have access to the Bowden cable inner 34, and will therefore not be able to operate the locking lever 4 easily.

It will be appreciated that either or both of the link rods 20 and 22 could be replaced by Bowden cable links.

This would increase security to some degree, although if the latch mechanism 12 is locked access to any of these link rods will not enable the door to be unlatched. More usefully the link rod 26 could be replaced by a Bowden cable link, either to a sill button or to some other actuation means such as a thumb wheel. Alternatively the sill button can be deleted altogether. Either of these options ensures that the locking lever 24 can only be operated manually by means of a Bowden cable link, or by the motor 32.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the second embodiment of the invention is similar to the first and corresponding features are indicated by the same reference numerals.

The only difference is that Bowden cable 28 providing the connection between the key operated door lock 30 and the locking lever 24 is arranged such that its inner 34 is rotated by turning the key in the lock 30. The inner 34 is connected to the locking lever 24 by means of a screwon connector 50 which translates rotation of the inner 35 in the Bowden cable outer 36 to rotation of the locking lever 24.

As can be seen in Figure 5, the door lock 30 includes a first bevelled gear 52 arranged to rotate when the key is turned in the lock. The Bowden cable outer 36 is supported in a cable abutment 54, and the inner 34 extends into the casing 40. The casing includes a support 56 for the end of the inner 35 which allows it to rotate but prevents lateral movement. Between the abutment 54 and the support 55 a second bevelled gear 58 is mounted on the cable inner 34, such that it engages the first bevelled gear 52. Therefore rotation of the key in the lock causes rotation of the Bowden cable inner 34. The axis of rotation of the key and the first bevelled gear 52 is perpendicular to that cf the second bevelled gear 58 and the cable inner 34.

The second embodiment has the same advantages as the first, in that the casing 40 completely encloses the lock 30 and the two bevelled gears 52, 58 and the end of the Bowden cable 28, and the cable inner 35 cannot be reached simply by prising the lock 30 out of the door. However it has the added advantage that, even if the cable inner can be reached by breaking the casing 40 or the cable outer 36, it is hard to rotate the cable inner 34 with enough force to operate the locking lever 24.

Claims

1. A vehicle locking system comprising a lock mechanism having locking means, cable means comprising a cable outer and a cable inner movable within the outer to operate the locking means, the cable inner having a first end connected to the lock mechanism, a rotatable member adapted to be rotated by a key, means for translating rotational movement of the rotatable member into movement of the cable, and casing means enclosing the rotatable member, the movement translating means and a second end of the cable inner.

2. A vehicle locking system according to claim 1 wherein the lock mechanism also has latching means which can be locked by the locking means.

3. A vehicle locking system according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the cable inner is adapted to move along the cable outer to operate the locking means.

4. A vehicle locking system according to claim 3 wherein the rotatable member comprises a pinion and the movement translating means comprises a rack.

5. A vehicle locking system according to claim 4 wherein the rack is attached directly to the end of the cable inner.

6. A vehicle locking system according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the cable is adapted to rotate within the cable outer to operate the locking means.

7. A vehicle locking system according to claim 6 wherein the rotatable member comprises a first geared wheel.

8. A vehicle locking system according to claim 7 wherein the movement translating means comprises a second geared wheel connected to the cable inner.

9. A vehicle locking system according to any foregoing claim further comprising a locking motor 34 located adjacent to the locking mechanism and arranged to operated the locking means.

10.A vehicle locking system according to any foregoing claim comprising a further lock actuating means, in addition to the key.

1l.A vehicle locking system according to claim 10 wherein said further lock actuating means is connected to the locking means by a link rod.

12.A vehicle locking system according to claim 10 wherein said further lock actuating means is connected to the locking means by cable means comprising a cable inner and a cable outer.

13.A vehicle locking system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3, or Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.